How to get ahead in fintech: Four courses for studying banking disruption

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Time to hit the books when it comes to getting yout head round fintech

Lynsey Barber

There’s one word on everyone’s lips in the Square Mile and beyond these days… fintech.

For the uninitiated, the portmanteau of financial technology threatens to bring the disruptive innovation felt already in industries such as retail by the likes of Amazon to the traditional world of banking.

And for those looking to stay ahead of the curve, here are four ways to study fintech.

Oxford Fintech Programme

From one of the most prestigious institutions in the country comes a online course designed for those wanting to launch their own venture, or hoping to sprinkle a little entrepreneurial magic across a financial services firm.

Through the University of Oxford’s Said Business School, it covers topics such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, crowdfunding and quantum computing and boasts teaching from associate professor of business economics Nir Vulkan along with other UK and US academics and experts from banking and technology.

The 10 week programme kicks off on 9 October and costs £2,500.

Open University

This online OU course was the first of its kind, launching in 2015 with industry body Innovate Finance.

The short online course “understanding financial technologies” also brings in aspects of economics, policy and regulation to give learners a thorough grounding in fintech and has been labeled “fintech 101”.

It’s CPD certified and costs £695.

Princeton’s bitcoin and cryptocurrency technologies

If the world of cryptocurrencies, bitcoin and blockchain is starting to appear your radar amid its continued rise, this introduction to what it’s all about is a great start.

The online course through learning platform Coursera covers mechanisms, uses and mining of bitcoin in addition to the wider concepts surrounding it such as community and regulation.

Created by Princeton computer science professor Arvind Narayanan, one user called it the best course on the platform and it has a 4.7 out of five star rating.